Aug 18 FujiFilm X-20 - So Far I'm Liking It!

I
recently purchased a FujiFilm X-20. So
far I’m happy with my purchase. I’m a
long time DSLR (previously SLR) user.
However, what I don’t have, except for my film cameras, is a “walking
around” camera. And, hey, film isn’t
really walking around ready.

There
is tons of buzz, press & reviews about options I had from simple point
& shoots, to micro four thirds, to Interchangeable Lens Compact systems,
along with others. I did a fair amount
of research on various cameras, and came to 5 basic conclusions. They were:

I did not plan to replace my DSLR, but
compliment it,

Although my iPhone has a very capable camera, I
wanted more control,

I want a moderate amount of zoom,

I wasn’t currently looking at a camera with
interchangeable lenses (because, I know I would want the next cool lens),

And finally, I wanted a rangefinder / optical
viewfinder.

There
is a considerable amount of shrill press about a system being better than the
next and other dogma, but bottom-line I wanted to make my decision based upon
my current photographic needs. So I
went looking at my options.

Surprisingly,
the feature that gave me the most challenge was the viewfinder. There are several cameras and camera systems with
a viewfinder, but few with optical viewfinders.
I’m OK with an electronic viewfinder, but if there is a choice then
optical it is. Also, I could get used to
shooting only with an LCD, but right now that’s not my sweet spot. Call me old school.

I
ended up narrowing my choice to a FujiFilm X100s or an X20. I did have a chance to try an X100s, and
loved it. The ONLY thing I didn’t like
was the fixed focal length (which some people love) and the price. Wowser, it’s expensive. I didn’t have a chance to try an X-20, but I
heard both good things and bad things about it.
Some blogs and reviews heaped praise on it, and others didn’t. And recently 2 trusted photographers I know
said I should avoid it. Even my local
camera store said I was being inflexible not trying other options (shall I say,
one salesman did this too me…I guess he didn’t know I kind of know what I’m
talking about when it comes to cameras.
I’m not some noob off the street, but I’m not going to rant) Anyway, it
didn’t really matter because no-one had them in stock to try.

So
on a whim one day I went to my local camera shop, and they had one in
stock. My heart fluttered, so I gave it
a test. I liked it. Small, tight, easy to handle controls,
reasonable zoom, and a price more in my range for this type of camera. SOLD.

So
far, so good. I really like it. I’ve used it primarily in “snapshot”
mode. Just capturing moments, and so far
only in jpg. I’ve photographed a
business lunch in low light…spot on.
I’ve photographed it at a gamer’s convention with mixed lighting…spot
on. I’ve also played at dusk and at
night during a motorcycle event. This
was primarily with P mode. Again, spot
on. As of yet I haven’t used the more
controlled settings, in studio, or more serious shots. That will come, and again, I’m not trying to
replace my DSLR.

One
thing that really helped. I bought a
Mobi Eye-Fi card. This card is amazing. It turns your camera into a WiFi hotspot so
you can transfer your photos (jpg only) to your connected device. There you go, I’ve solved one of the big
advantages of a cellphone camera.

Here’s
what I like about the X-20 so far, and some of the basic specs:

Good sensor, a 2/3”, X-Trans CMOS-II sensor
giving you 12MP output.

Shoots RAW & jpg

Optical viewfinder

28-112 effective zoom lens

Excellent aperture from f/2.0 to f/2.8

Native ISO range from 100 – 12800

Hotshoe (I was able to use it to fire remote
flashes with an Elinchrom trigger)

Silent mode (I mean at first I didn’t even know
it was working, I mean there is NO sound)

Movie mode at 1080p

All the normal DSLR control settings including
WB & PSAM

The
thing I don’t like or need to get used too:

Need to figure out how to keep the LCD off all
the time. I only want it on when I push
the view button,

The on/off switch is by turning the zoom
ring. I found I hadn’t turned it off a
few times when in fact it was still on,

Flash doesn’t work in silent mode (very
strange),

The battery “seemed” to drain on me pretty
quickly, which I understand is a same problem as the X100s.

I’m
going to practice with this camera more and try to keep it with me as much as
possible. So far, completely happy.